South End homes a 1st for builder
Ryan Homes tweaks suburban style for its
137 townhomes near uptown
DOUG SMITH
Ryan Homes, best known in the Charlotte metro market
as a big suburban builder, is expanding into the urban core.
The Block at Church Street is its first such
venture.
Site work is under way for 137 townhomes on 7-plus
acres between South Church and Winnifred streets in South End.
Two- to four-bedroom townhomes with 2 1/2 and 3 1/2
baths and one-car garages will range from 1,862 to 2,337 square feet.
Prices start at $361,990.
The site is near the northern edge of South End
within a couple of blocks of uptown. It's also convenient to the
light-rail line and within walking distance of shops and restaurants.
The project illustrates how residential development
is helping bridge the gap between South End and the center city.
James Mathis III, director of Historic South End,
said he anticipates more of that type of development in the
Mint-Summit-Church streets area.
To create an urban-style development and blend with
South End, Ryan Homes is modifying its townhome designs, said sales
manager Lisa Douglas.
Buildings will have two-tone brick exteriors with no
vinyl siding.
Shutters will be dropped from some units to create a
more contemporary look, and garage door styles will differ from its
suburban townhomes.
Some units will have a basement and two levels above
ground and others will be three-levels above ground.
Douglas believes the townhomes -- especially with
the privacy of a garage -- will appeal to young professionals seeking an
alternative to condos and high-rises with parking decks.
She said construction of the 59-unit first phase is
expected to start when lot preparation is finished in March.
The initial townhomes in the estimated $54.8 million
project are to be ready by mid- to late summer.
Douglas said Ryan is taking contracts on units. It
has a sales office nearby at Church Street and Summit Avenue.
Ryan (www.ryanhomes.com)
has 46 active single-family, townhome and condominium communities in
Charlotte and surrounding areas, she said.
This won't be its only foray into the urban market.
Douglas said Ryan has three other close-in sites lined up. |
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